The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-01-20
RECLAIMED HILLSIDES
A Paper Upon the Best Methods to Be
store and Preserve Lost Fertility.
BY PROF. s. A. R. SWAN.

BY PROF. S. A. r. SWAN. OF
The problem of how to control ar
he Mississippi river with its de- in
tructive overfows and changing D,
has become 80 importan N
hat after having been given up by a,
Individuals and by states as inca q
pable of solution by turn has been D
undertaken by the federal govern b
ment and is now national ques- n
ton. Ii
Our problem, "How best to pre- '
serve and reclaim our hillside r
lands" is equally as important t. ,
us individuals as the Mississippl 5
problec1 is to those living on or
near its banks, but we must never
expect to see the general govern
ment tempt IS soluti n. If solved
at all, it must be done by ourselves,
each for himself as individuals
We must find solution, and q cor
rect one, and that quite soon, or
ruin irretrivvable will come upon 9 /
very large portion Of the farming
lands of Giles couaty, in fact OF the
| whole basin of Middle Tennessee |
| Dennded of the forests that former
| " protected, preserved and enrich
ed them, our fertile hillsides are be
ing sifted down by the rains IN
summer, by tie frosts and rains
and melting SHOWS Of winter. Eve
nv waterconrse carries off tons Of
| fertile soil from them until hillside
farms once the richest and most
productive no" present. ghaslly
prospect of unsightly, impossible
qullies, and fields that once waved
With golden harvests are abandon
ed to briars, sedgegrass and stunt
ed, moss grown bushes that do not
hide even in spring and summer
the unsjghtly nakedness Of the
ground. | have had farms pointed
out to me in this county once fer
tile and productive now dennded
| seemingly OF every particle of soil
y nothing in sight that could support
= = vegetation, nothing bat rocks, baFt
D. rocks. Was there divine curse
or upon these lands or upon theii
eT owners? No; all this is the result
lg Of natural laws disregarded or out
m ragged. Cut Off and burn down til,
=, forests with which nature has 81
= wisely covered the hills, LEI in tn,
y sun, dry up the moisture, exhsus
1es the vegetable humors of the sell
if scratch the surface for annua
ne crops, give nature no chance eve
in by rest of the land to say tn
p waste, and just so sure as wAter al
: ways seeks o level, always run
be down hill, just SO surely will h
impoverished surface soil 90 wit
it, down the hill, down the hranct
down Richland creek, down Ell
river, down the Tennessee, dow
= the Mississippi, through Eads JET
Y les into the Gulf OF Mexico, an
y then we are about done with i
We shall probably not be able /
- identify it &C Giles county soil an
consequently couldn't reclaim il
, law. But the subject is too seriog
to make a jest gift Whist arr g
to do about ii? Before giving We
), nv solution Of the first part of II
problem, "How to preserve our bill
Sides for | believe much of 0J
= hillside land is irreclaimahle g
W ready, at least by the generate
fse now living, lam tempted to geol
ng gise q little.
s. Mer who have studied tbeconfo
Ii nation of oar section and its oe
~ logical evidences assert, belle
II with good reason, that alI The Mix
Ii die Tenn ssee basin was once
a great fresh water lake How loi
II ago it is not necessary 20 in0uir
il It was certainly before our tim
a. By some CONFUSION Of nature 81
nes water found an outlet hy the Cur
IS herland OF the north, the Elk
er the south and other smaller stream
w and the lake was draioel. IF tn
IS, theory be as think it is, we CT
der easily account for the praaent Coz
la form alton Of The surface. their IRE!
ular shaped hills, the narrow equs
" " irregular valleys between, fori
ing the channels of immeasurah
. streams in the subsistence OF the "
teTs, the deeper dep~essions formii
probably the channels Of the pre-
ent permanent streams. Il is n
my purpose to digress very f
from the question at issue. [ on
want to point out how nature ops
ated when she had the problem
solve of gullies and washed hi
sides on q grand scale. In tin
she covered the hills with tho
magnificent forests we are so rutl
lessly destroying. In she rich Y;
legs and along the watetcourses s
sowed thickly the cane with its ms
ted roots to catch and hold t
rich soil washed by the rains fro
h the higher grounds. The virq
! soil was then prolific in vegetati,
and increasing in richness by t
decay of the redundant foliage.
Tins we found it, If after
hundred or less years of our sty
; of cultivation we abandon it al
turn it over again to nature,
q time she will again reclaim and l
store our waste places, but proba
@ ly not to the pristine condition
, If which we found the country.
lore If | am correct in my theory !
ard must adopt natures methods
INN nm solving the problem. Some ha
ANS thought we could preserve billsid
st from washing by digging transyel
. bitches. Some of you have proha
IL seen some of these hillsi
bitches, perhaps some have expe
\ mented little along this line.
q ! venture to assert your experien
SsSsA has not been satisfactory. Expe
81. ence is a very dear school. T
~ course of study ia long and the fe
are higher than most persons c
- afford to psy. Others think de
- blowing, suhsoiling, is the plan
"a prevent washing. Without goi